<p>Well said, Bartleby 007,
IMHO, Medicine has always been a calling. I think the benefits of medicine included the respect of the community and a decent living. It didn’t become very lucrative until the era of insurance, when 3rd party payers separated the doctor from the patient in a business transaction, and large payments became possible. Technology increased the expenses. I won’t go into all the details, but it took many steps with many influences to get to where we are today.
Medicine has been a calling, to the point where the doctor put it above all other things, including time with family. It involved not only delayed gratification during training but throughout life. Prior to the women’s movement, I think it would be fair to say that most physicians were men, and if they were married, had a traditional marriage with the wife taking care of the home and children while the doctor was working long hours. Doctors were compensated, but in addition to that was high job satisfaction.
Today’s medical student has the same kind of calling. However, he, or now she, may also have a working spouse and share child care duties. A salaried position might be exactly what two working parents need. He or she may not earn as high an income as in the past, but if they feel a calling to medicine, job satisfaction will still be high.</p>